From the 1970s to the 1990s, Italian moviemakers produced the goriest exploitation films ever made, using recurring plot devices of cannibalism and putrefied zombie flesh eaters. Eaten Alive! dissects this outrageous period, setting it within its cultural and cinematic context. With an introduction explaining the origins of the gruesome genre, the book charts every bloody step, from the renowned Pasolini, who employed cannibalism as a satirical metaphor, to shocking "documentaries" such as Cannibal Holocaust, an acknowledged influence on The Blair Witch Project. Informed, irreverent contributions from legends of the modern horror scene round out this fascinating book.